Alderney Railway - get a tube train to the lighthouse in Guernsey

[editor]

Here's a fascinating curio:

The Alderney Railway on Alderney is the only railway in the Bailiwick of Guernsey (a British Crown dependency), and the only working railway in the Channel Islands. (There is a standard gauge railway at the Pallot Heritage Steam Museum in Jersey, but this provides no actual transport link, only pleasure rides.) The Alderney Railway opened in 1847 and runs for about 2 miles (3.2 km), mostly following a coastal route, from Braye Road to Mannez Quarry and Lighthouse.

The railway is run by volunteers and usually operates during summer weekends and bank holidays.

Alderney Railway - Wikipedia

 

[editor]

 

[cheesethief]

Been on it as a kid, it's great!

 

[RubyToogood]

Ha. My sister (who lives in Jersey) texted me from the train last summer. I told her to get off at Tooting Broadway and I'd meet her for a curry.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

didn't realise they had replaced the 1938 stock they had. Apparently it rusted badly there.

 

[twentythreedom]

I don't think it was running this summer when I was there. Just runs from Braye Harbour to a quarry a couple of miles away and back

Been on it before, rude not to if you're there and it's running

Title's a bit misleading editor - makes it sound like you go underground between islands

 

[dessiato]

Isn't there a similar thing on the Isle of Wight?

 

[editor]

Isn't there a similar thing on the Isle of Wight?

It's a bit different as the tube carriages aren't being shunted around by a loco.

Island Line, Isle of Wight - Wikipedia

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Isn't there a similar thing on the Isle of Wight?

yes and no

the remaining railway on the Isle of Wight uses 1938 ex Underground trains, still on electric traction. It's part of the South Western Railway franchise, and runs all year round. I haven't been there since they modernised it - they still used 1920s ex Underground trains last time I was there. The reduced size of one of the tunnels is why they can't have standard size trains on the line.

More here.

The Island also has a preserved steam railway.

(ETA hmph at almost simulteneous posting)

 

[BlueSquareThing]

yes and no

the remaining railway on the Isle of Wight uses 1938 ex Underground trains, still on electric traction. It's part of the South Western Railway franchise, and runs all year round. I haven't been there since they modernised it - they still used 1920s ex Underground trains last time I was there. The reduced size of one of the tunnels is why they can't have standard size trains on the line.

More here.

The Island also has a preserved steam railway.

(ETA hmph at almost simulteneous posting)

The entire line is on one of those railway sim games you can get - so you can drive it if you want. Can't for the life of me remember which one.

Years and years since I went on it - lived there as a kid in the 70s and we had no car, so the train or bus was the only way to get anywhere.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

gratuitous picture of 1920s 'standard stock' at Ryde some time in the 70s when they were still running 7 car trains

 

[A380]

Wow, I never imagined there were trains in the Chanel Islands. It’s brilliant.

 

[RubyToogood]

Wow, I never imagined there were trains in the Chanel Islands. It’s brilliant.

I don't think there are really. When the niblings were smaller, one of their big treats when they came to London was taking a train somewhere.

 

[Dogsauce]

There used to be a half decent railway on Jersey, the main station was quite impressive from what I remember.

 

[editor]

There used to be a half decent railway on Jersey, the main station was quite impressive from what I remember.

Bit of a shonky vid:

 

[twentythreedom]

There used to be an island railway down here, running from Weymouth, across the causeway onto the Isle of Portland

 

[hipipol]

It's a bit different as the tube carriages aren't being shunted around by a loco.

Island Line, Isle of Wight - Wikipedia